Yokohama Chicken Breed – Everything You Need to Know

The Yokohama is a truly elegant bird with pure white plumage and small red walnut or pea-shaped comb. The roosters have a long majestic tail that cascades gracefully to the ground while the hens have a more perpendicular full tail. Their legs are clean and yellow so is their skin and beaks.

The Yokohama does not get very big but is available in a bantam size. It makes a great pet as it is docile, tame and does not mind perching on its owner’s shoulder or arm.

They are magnificent show birds but do not make very good egg layers or meat birds.

In the UK the chicken is known in Germany and the USA as the Phoenix is also called the Yokohama.

Country of Origin:	Germany
American Poultry Association:	Recognized as a breed of chicken in the United States
Chicken Category:	All Other Standard Breeds
Chicken Class:	Oriental
Bantam Variety Available?	Yes – All Other Comb Clean Legged Bantam Classification
Good Starter Chicken?	They are a low maintenance chicken with a nature that makes them perfect as a starter chicken.
PURPOSE ⇒	Eggs: They are not good egg layers. They lay small cream eggs up to 52 per year They will lay throughout the year but more prolific in the summer months They start to lay eggs from around 20 weeks old. Related CHICKEN BREEDS THAT LAY BROWN, BLUE, GREEN, OLIVE, PINK OR DIFFERENT COLORS EGG Meat: Not good meat birds as their carcass is quite small. It has yellow meat that has a game taste to it. Breeding: Yokohama is on the endangered species list. Although more breeders of these beautiful chickens are required breeding these birds are more for the experienced chicken breeder. If you are breeding the Yokohama for show choosing the correct hens and rooster bloodline is crucial. They have a strict standard that is to be adhered to which includes the chicken’s feathers especially those of the tail. For advice on breeding please check our guide to breed poultry. Foraging: They love to scratch and forage about. They make a beautiful ornamental fowl for the garden Show Bird: They make a great show bird Pets: These chickens have been known to ride on their owner’s arm they are really friendly and like to be petted. Other: They love to garden with their humans, scratch Scratch out weeds and get rid of pesky pests that your garden can do without. They will give your organic garden a lot of nutritious fertilizer to ensure great blooms and tasty vegetables.
Flyers?	They can fly
Noisy Birds?	Not too noisy
Interaction with other chickens:	They get along well with other chickens. As with any flock if you are introducing new birds it is best to slowly socialize them with the flock.
Good with kids?	They are good with supervised children even the roosters have a gentle disposition. They do not mind being picked up or petted in fact they are quite happy in their human’s arms.

HISTORY

The Yokohama’s true origin is Japan wherein 1854 five ports were being constructed to open trade from Japan to the rest of the world. The port called Yokohama in Japan was one of these ports and it opened in 1859. Some of the first goods exported to Europe where the traditional Japanese Long-tailed chickens which were exported in 1864. These birds came in through Paris and were named after their port of origin as Yokohama.

The first president of the Bund Deutscher Rassegeflugeizuchter (German national poultry association) took an interest in the Yokohama and began to breed them. After his success and creating the red-saddled color his Yokohama breed was exported to the United Kingdom. In 1904 a breeder’s club for the Yokohama was formed. A breeder du Roi’s used the name Yokohama for both the Yokohama and the Phoenix (the Phoenix have a different comb and their own unique colors).

It was not until the twentieth century that the Yokohama arrived in the United States and the white varieties along with the Red-Shouldered Yokohama were admitted into the Standards of Perfection by the APA in 1981.

CHARACTERISTICS
IDENTIFICATION ⇒	Appearance/Body: They are a plump bird with long clean yellow legs. The hens coloring tends to be darker than the males. Their feathers are soft and barred. They tend to have very red earlobes, wattles, combs and faces. Color(s) White and Red Shouldered Related COLOR VARIETIES THAT ARE FOUND IN A LOT OF THE VARIOUS CHICKEN BREEDS Comb: They have a walnut comb Ave. Weight: Hens/Pullet 3 – 4 lbs. Cockerel 4 – 5 lbs.
Life Expectancy:	The average lifespan is 6 – 8 years
Health:	The good news about these beautiful birds is that they do not have any known health issues.
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Temperament:	They are calm, docile and friendly birds that like attention
Socialize Behavior?	They get along well with all other animals
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Known predators:	Most domestic animals leave them alone but it is always best to keep an eye on dogs and cats. If hawks and or foxes are in your area it is always best to take precautions. Check with local animal shelters, zoos, vets, animal control and or pet stores about common predators in your area.
Conservation Status:	These birds conservation status is recorded as “critical”. It is best to check on any special license or instructions that may be set up for owning these birds. This can be checked with your local or national conservation centers.

IDEAL ENVIRONMENT
Garden Size:	These great birds adapt well to any garden size and do well in confinement. However, as with any animal they love to roam free and free-range.
Ideal Climate:	They do not mind the cold and whether the wintery months well. They are a very hardy bird and adapt to the hotter climbs easily.
Ideal Coop:	The rule of thumb for any coop is 50 cm x 50 cm per hen/rooster in the coop. Ensure there is a good space for the nesting boxes and nightly roosting rails at least 1.5 inches wide. Good ventilation for air but not too drafty especially in winter. It is always a good idea to raise the coop off the ground to give the birds a dry place to roost and lay especially in wet weather.
Ideal Coop Run:	It is a good idea for safety from predators to completely cover the coop run with as these birds can and will fly.
Ideal Flock Size:	They like to socialize so there should be more than one chicken in the flock for them to free-range around the garden with.
Special Instructions:	Depending on the size of their tails these birds do not really have any special requirements. If they do sport extra long tails there are special housing requirements for these chickens.
Accessories:	The following accessories are ideal for your coop: Nesting boxes Straw for the boxes and roosting area Roosting rails Perches Water troughs/bowls Food bowls/feeders Heating lamp(s) Animal carrier for transport purposes
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WHERE TO FIND THESE BIRDS TO ADD TO YOUR FLOCK

As they are now a rare endangered breed of chicken they are not very easy to find, and you will probably not find them at live poultry outlets and farms. To get a Yokohama or two for your flock it is best to find registered breeders which you can get information for form the American Poultry Association or the Livestock Conservancy websites. If you plan on breeding your chickens, you will want to make sure that they are from a good bloodline.
They will also be able to help with any special requirements, attention or care they may need.

CARING FOR THE BIRD(S)

Please click here for our full guide to “Taking care of chickens”. This is a comprehensive guide to owning chickens. It covers where to start from choosing your ideal flock, the coop that would best suit your garden, your bird and you to buying and bringing your bird(s) home.

GENERAL

These are the most precious pets that will bring an elegance and style to any garden. Their long ornamental tails are quite a sight to behold.
As they are a very weather hardy chicken they do not have a lot of special requirements other than the grooming requirements for their tails should you wish to show the bird.

GROOMING

Other than the preferred dust baths that all chickens enjoy as a grooming routine they do not require much in the way of this. There are special ways to keep their long tails neat. It is a good idea to regularly check them for mites, lice and various other parasites. Always get your birds de-wormed on a regular basis especially if they are around other animals or interacting with kids.

DIET AND NUTRITION

Yokohama loves to forage and eat garden insects and pests. They also love indulging in table scraps and will eat most vegetable or fruit leftovers. As with other chickens, they will eat chicken pellets, grains, chicken mash or grain mix from 8 weeks old and older. It is advisable to feed them their regular food first thing in the morning before they are let out to forage.

For baby chickens, the best is always Chick Starter when they are under 8 weeks old.

Laying hens and Yokohama baby chicks should get extra protein and calcium in their diets to ensure the quality of their eggs and to keep them in tip-top health.

Please see our comprehensive guide to “Feeding your chickens” for more information of the different types of chicken feed for chicks, hens, laying hens, roosters, etc. and where to buy the feed and approximate cost of the feed.

SOCIALIZING THE BIRD(S)

Yokohama is a regal, calm friendly bird but they can be a bit shy around other chickens and animals.
Always check on how well a breed will get on with your current flock before buying them as you do not want to upset your coop or stress your current flock.

If you want to introduce another breed with your Yokohama, try a breed that has a gentle nature that will match theirs.

As with any newcomer to the roost, you will have to quarantine the bird for 7 – 31 days to ensure it does not have any unwanted critters or disease that could spread to your current flock.

Even though they are a docile breed, even they have a pecking order, so it is advisable to socialize them slowly and determine when it is right to allow newcomers to become a permanent part of the flock.

NOTES / SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS

As they are registered as “critical” conservation status they may need an extra license to own or keep in your garden. For advice on what the bird’s conservation status and orders are, please check with your local conservation department.

For breeders, it is imperative that you always check your bird’s bloodlines and ensure you are buying your birds from a reputed breeder/farm. In order to sell birds of such stature, they have to be recorded and documented, always check with local animal breeding organizations for these records.

These legitimate documents are also required should you wish to show your bird(s) in various poultry shows/competition showings.

For information and advice on adopting rescued animals, you can visit or contact your local animal welfare center.